Quick change lens mount

Abstract

A quick change lens mount for connecting a lens assembly to a camera board, the camera board having a image recording device, a filter and a filter frame to position the filter over the image recording device. The lens mount includes a base attached to the camera board and a quick connect coupling on the base for removable coupling to said lens assembly. The base, filter and filter frame are all affixed to the camera board by fasteners.

1. A quick change lens mount for connecting a lens assembly to a camera board, the camera board having an image recording device, a filter and a filter housing to position the filter over the image recording device, comprising:
 (a) a base attached to said camera board, having a quick connect coupling for removable coupling to said lens assembly said base having an interior opening and said quick connect coupling having a pair of slots to permit passage of a key and a pair of keyways extending circumferentially from ends of corresponding ones of said slots; 
 (b) a removable adapter coupled to said lens assembly, said removable adapter having a threaded interior opening to receive a threaded end of a lens housing and a base insert end, said base insert end having keys for engagement with said keyways on said base so as to lock said lens assembly to said base upon engagement of the keys of said removable adapter to respective ones of said keyways on said base, and; 
 (c) means for affixing said base, filter and filter frame to said camera board, and said filter housing is rectangular and has undercuts at respective corners such that corners of said filter extend through corresponding ones of the undercuts of said filter housing such that said filter housing tightly grips said filter. 
 
     
     
       2. A mount according to  claim 1 , wherein said base insert
 end of said removable coupling has a cylindrical surface with a pair of keys affixed thereto on diametrically opposite sides of said cylindrical surface. 
 
     
     
       3. A mount according to  claim 1 , wherein said means for
 affixing is a pair of screws passing through holes in said camera board and filter frame and engaging threaded holes in said base. 
 
     
     
       4. A mount according to  claim 3 , wherein said filter housing is elastomeric. 
     
     
       5. A mount according to  claim 1 , wherein said filter housing is resilient so as to shield said filter from impact. 
     
     
       6. A method of mounting a lens assembly to a camera board, comprising:
 (a) attaching a removable adapter to said lens assembly, said adapter having a threaded opening with threads that mate with threads on said lens assembly and a pair of keys at an end thereof opposite to said threaded opening; 
 (b) forming a base to lock to an end of said removable adapter, said base having an opening with slots and keyways on an interior surface thereof which slidably receive and engage said keys on said removable adapter; 
 (c) mounting said base over an image recording device and affixed to said camera board wherein said image recording device includes a filter and said base includes a filter housing to shield said filter by forming said filter housing with a resilient material, and 
 said filter housing is rectangular with its corners undercut so as to permit firm engagement of sides of said filter by sides of said filter housing; and 
 (d) inserting and locking said lens assembly to said base. 
 
     
     
       7. A method according to  claim 6 , wherein said filter housing is elastomeric.